Combining Philosophers

Ideas for H.Putnam/P.Oppenheim, Gottlob Frege and Michael Lavers

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     choose another area for these philosophers

display all the ideas for this combination of philosophers


6 ideas

19. Language / E. Analyticity / 1. Analytic Propositions
A statement is analytic if substitution of synonyms can make it a logical truth [Frege, by Boghossian]
     Full Idea: According to Frege, a statement's analyticity (in my epistemological sense) is to be explained by the fact that it is transformable into a logical truth by the substitution of synonyms for synonyms.
     From: report of Gottlob Frege (Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) [1884], §03) by Paul Boghossian - Analyticity Reconsidered §I
     A reaction: [He says this interpretation of Frege's semantical notion of analyticity may be controversial] Presumably we see that 'bachelors are unmarried men' is analytic when we start substituting for 'bachelor'. Sounds reasonable.
Frege considered analyticity to be an epistemic concept [Frege, by Shapiro]
     Full Idea: Frege held that analyticity is like a priority in being an epistemic concept.
     From: report of Gottlob Frege (Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) [1884], §03) by Stewart Shapiro - Thinking About Mathematics 5.1
     A reaction: Kripke very firmly says that this is not so. While a priori is an epistemic concept, analyticity is a semantic concept. I cling on to Kripke's framework, but probably more because it is neat and comfortable than because it is true.
'P or not-p' seems to be analytic, but does not fit Kant's account, lacking clear subject or predicate [Frege, by Weiner]
     Full Idea: 'It is raining or it is not raining' appears to true because of the general principle 'p or not-p', so it is analytic; but this does not fit Kant's idea of an analytic truth, because it is not obvious that it has a subject concept or a predicate concept.
     From: report of Gottlob Frege (works [1890]) by Joan Weiner - Frege Ch.2
     A reaction: The general progress of logic seems to be a widening out to embrace problem sentences. However, see Idea 7315 for the next problem that arises with analyticity. All this culminates in Quine's attack (e.g. Idea 1624).
19. Language / E. Analyticity / 2. Analytic Truths
All analytic truths can become logical truths, by substituting definitions or synonyms [Frege, by Rey]
     Full Idea: Frege appealed to definition, or (if 'meaning' is preserved) synonymy: the non-logical analytic truths can be converted to logical truths by substitution of definitions for defined terms, or synonyms for synonyms.
     From: report of Gottlob Frege (Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) [1884], §005, 88) by Georges Rey - The Analytic/Synthetic Distinction 1.2
     A reaction: This is a 'dogma of empiricism' attacked by Quine. It seems rather obvious (with hindsight?) that you can smuggle whatever is required to do the job into your definition. Or assert some slightly dubious synonymy.
Analytic truths are those that can be demonstrated using only logic and definitions [Frege, by Miller,A]
     Full Idea: Frege (according to Quine) characterises analytic truths as those that can be demonstrated or proved using only logical laws and definitions as premises.
     From: report of Gottlob Frege (works [1890]) by Alexander Miller - Philosophy of Language 4.2
     A reaction: This is the big shift away from the Kantian version (predicate contained in the subject) towards a modern version, perhaps fixed by a truth table giving true for all values.
19. Language / E. Analyticity / 4. Analytic/Synthetic Critique
Frege fails to give a concept of analyticity, so he fails to explain synthetic a priori truth that way [Katz on Frege]
     Full Idea: Frege's approach provides no concept of analyticity (hence Quine's attack), so there is no notion of the analytic a priori under which to bring the metaphysician's synthetic a priori propositions.
     From: comment on Gottlob Frege (Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) [1884]) by Jerrold J. Katz - Realistic Rationalism Int.xxi
     A reaction: So Frege might have been a logical positivist, if only he had given himself the right tools for the job?